5 Things You Should Never Drain Down Your Kitchen Sink
You’ve made it through the start of the holiday season without a hitch but make sure you finish strong! We service lots of homeowners during this time of year who have run into problems with their garbage disposal system and we understand why—this time of year is high impact. If you’re unaware of what common food items and byproducts are bad for your drain, we’ve comprised a list below. Even if you’re informed you might have made prior slip-ups in the past, so if you need a plumber in Orlando or around Central, FL, we’re the team for the job. Don’t hesitate to contact us!
- FOG: We’re not talking about that morning marine layer, we’re talking about three things that should never touch your drain—fat, oil, and grease. FOG isn’t necessarily a bad substance on its own, it becomes a problem once it settles in your plumbing system. These substances enter your drain as a liquid but congeal and settle in your pipes as they cool. This is a problem because it’s the perfect substance to catch other objects passing through your drain and cause a huge and persistent clog.
- Rice, Pasta, or Bread: You might be surprised to hear that rice, pasta, or bread are problem items for your drain. These items are a problem because they might go down your garbage disposal just fine, but once they’re in your pipes, you’ll run water over them and they’ll expand. They post a threat to your plumbing system in a similar way to FOG because they create the perfect environment for other substances to stick in.
- Seeds and Pits: Pits, seeds, and anything similar to these things are hard on your plumbing system because they’re small, hard, and round. They don’t grind well because of this, instead, they typically whirl around for a while as you run your garbage disposal before sliding down your pipes whole. It’s better to have these things end up in the trash rather than in your plumbing.
- Egg Shells: Eggs shells are a point of contention when discussing your garbage disposal. Many people believe that grinding down eggshells in your garbage disposal is actually healthy for the system because it sharpens your blades over time, but this is a common misconception. Think about when you crack an egg, there’s a thin membrane underneath the shell. This is a problem because this wraps around moving parts in your garbage disposal and causes wear and tear. Make sure eggshells end up in your trash rather than in your plumbing system.
- Coffee Grounds: Coffee grounds post the same threat to your plumbing system as FOG. Coffee grounds settle into a sludge in your plumbing system that creates the perfect environment for other odds and ends traveling through your plumbing system to snag in. You can avoid future problems by making sure your coffee grounds end up in the trash rather than in your plumbing system.
Things that should never go down your garbage disposal aren’t always an actual threat to your garbage disposal system itself, instead they’re a threat to your plumbing system. If you avoid making these mistakes this holiday season, you’ll save yourself a headache.
